The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-06-30
The Real Fraud of 1915.

| Now and then rabid Democratic paper
raises howl of what it calls the Fraud
of 1876, by which Tilden was cheated out
the Presidency" We have time and aga n
demonstrated that the only frauds at
tempted or committed in that election
were perpetrated by Democrats. The
! Philadelphia Press so clearly and concisely
States this point that we publish its article
SO that all who desire to know how the real
fraud was committed and who commit ed
it may be properly informed. Here s
what the Press says:
| About once every year the Democrat C press ,
imagining that the people have forgotten the
real facts in the electoral controversy of 1876,
take out their pocket handkerchiefs and begin
a prolonged wall over the alleged fraud of that
ltended, perhaps, with more than the usual
amount of suffering and bowling. This addi-
tional clamor is no doubt due TO the encourage
ment gained from the fact that Democratic
methods have at last accomplished their pur-
pose and seized upon the Government. 1t
would be unworthy of fresh notice were 1t not
for the possibility of silence being interpreted
as consent to Democratic assertions
The four States in controversy in 1876 were
South Carolina Florida, Louisiana and Oregon
Each of these was Republican on fair vote and
an honest count, the first by 30, majority the
by 200. But, in 1875 the Democrats had carried
Mississippi, with its 30 600 Republican majority
by bulldozng and ballottbox st I'M, ana me
1876 to wrest the last three States from the Re-
publicans that they held in the South. The
murders, the night-ridiDg, the tissue ballots
stuffed into the boxes and the led shirt compa-
MES organized to OveraWe the colOred voters OF
that year are all a matter of undisputed record.
They very nearly gained their object. but there
was law enough when honestly interpreted and
Republicans courageous and energetic enough
to defeat one of the most infamous consp1rac1es
a civilized country mas ever known. Humll-
lated by their defeat, angered by the detection
of their crime and disappointed that the hand
reeking with the blood OF innocent colored men
and women which they stretched out TO clutch
the reinS of government was politely thrust
back they have never since ceased to howl
fraud"
There was monstrous fraud perpetrated in
1876, but it was a Democratic fraud and it was
tint ended to supplement- the murders and bull
dOzingS and tissue ballOt-boX Stuft1ng in the
South' When the Democrats saw that their
nefarious plots had failed and that they still
lacked one electoral vote to complete their tri-
umph, there was mysterious Hight of Demo-
cratic elnissaries to South Carolina, Florida and
louisiana Money and Intimidation through
the courts was now to be tried. Manton Marble
telegraphed from Florida as follows " Proposi-
of Board or his concurrence In court action
preventing electors vote from being cast for
half hundred best United States documents
and the answer went back from Samuel ]. TIL
denis house, "Telegram here. Proposition &C
cepted." Smith NJ. Weed whom the Democrats
last Winter tried to elect a Senator from New
York, busy in South Carolina i'll the same
nefarious business and telegraphed: Majori-
ty of Returning Board is secured. Cost is
SOOO0" and little later: " You must have the
money at Barnum's in Baltimore early Monday
morning" And at the appointed time and place
Weed and Tilden's nephew and private secre-
tary met to complete arrangements.
These together with the plot to set up the
Cronin electoral college in Oregon and pay for
it with the $1,000 deposited at a New York bank
ing house, are the real frauds of 1876. more
monstrous and nefarious scheme to seize the
Government of free people was never known.
Twice have the Democrats appealed to the peo-
pie on this issue, and although they have tam
pered with the jury both times by making the
south solid through fraud, they We're once
thrust out of court and the second time only
succeeded because they were aided by private
malice in the North. Just as often as The DEM
ocrats repeat their sniveling cry of d" fraud >
just so often should these facts be given to the
public.